US Visa Bond Program Now Permanent, Affecting 12 Asian Nations

Read The Diplomat, Know The Asia-Pacific The program, which launched as a pilot in August 2025, is now permanent and at present affects the citizens of 50 countries. The United States State Department has made permanent its pilot visa bond program, under which citizens of listed foreign countries seeking to obtain business or tourism visas to come to the United States may be required to pay a significant sum – a bond of up to $20,000 – to obtain a visa. As stated in the Federal Register notice, the program will be limited to those who are applying for business visitor/tourist (B-1/B-2) nonimmigrant visas and are citizens of specific countries identified by the State Department as “failing to meet rigorous standards relating to overstays, information sharing, screening and vetting, civil, criminal and identity records, and document security.” Among the 50 countries currently listed in the program, 12 are in Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The State Department explicitly framed the bond as ensuring that the visa-holder will maintain their nonimmigrant status – meaning they will not apply for asylum or refugee status – and that the individual will depart as required by the limits of their visa. The latest relevant notice, to be published in the Federal Register on August 3, claimed that the pilot program “has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.” In FY 2024, the notice stated, there were 45,488 overstays from the 50 countries currently listed for the program. In the first 10 months of the pilot, it continued, “the number of overstays was fewer than 50.” Notably, the rates of visa issuances also dropped dramatically, falling by 83 percent compared to the same 10-month period in the prior year. Nearly half of the 20,000 applicants during the pilot period who were mandated to pay bonds in order to secure their visa decided not to. The notice put it like this: “some applicants appear to self-select by not paying a bond.” (Note: That “self-select” is perhaps better read as “self-reject.”) The State Department understood this decline in overstay rates as the direct result of the bond program. There are, however, other ways to interpret these points of data. Dramatically fewer visas means dramatically fewer overstays. The American reputation is not all that welcoming these days. According to data from the National Travel and Tourism Office and reporting by CNN, 4 million fewer foreign visitors visited the United States in 2025 compared to 2024. 2025 represented the worst single-year decline in tourism travel to the U.S. in two decades, excluding the 2020 pandemic. People, simply put, are less interested in traveling to the United States. The Trump administration’s widespread crackdown on immigration – of all kinds – has resulted in violence, including the killing of U.S. and foreign citizens by immigration agents. For those foreigners who still want to visit the United States for tourism or business, the bond program adds yet another hurdle to an already arduous and, in some cases, expensive process. Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas require a nonrefundable fee of $185, paid when submitting an application and scheduling an interview appointment. During the interview, for citizens of the listed countries, the consular officer decides whether a visa bond will be required – either $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000. The visa will then be denied. The denial can be overcome if the bond is paid; otherwise it stands as denial. The bond can be posted by the applicant or a third party, such as a friend, family member, or business associate. Once the bond is paid, the application will be reviewed again – the consular officer can decide to approve or deny the visa. If the visa is denied, the bond will be canceled; if it is approved, the bond becomes returnable once the visa expires and if the individual is no longer still in the United States. Of the 12 Asian countries currently listed, three are in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan), one is in East Asia (Mongolia), two are in South Asia (Bangladesh and Nepal), two are in Southeast Asia (Cambodia and Papua New Guinea), and four are in Oceania (Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu). As I’ve covered previously, the Trump administration’s hyperfocus on overstay rates – that is, the percentage rather than the actual number – draws a target on countries from which relatively few people travel to the U.S. at all. If the goal of the program is reduce the actual number of overstays, Tuvalu may not be country to punish. In January I dug into the data: I’ve written previously in depth about Turkmenistan, which does have a relatively high overstay rate – 15.89 percent in 2024 for B-1/B-02 visa holders – and the reasons this measure is deceptive. That 15.89 percent figure represents just 320 people. Tajikistan’s overstay rate in 2024 was 7.57 percent, or 140 individual overstays. Kyrgyzstan’s overstay rate was lower than Turkmenistan’s, at 8.39 percent, but because of the higher number of travelers from Kyrgyzstan represented 643 people. For other countries, the listing makes even less sense – the numbers are even lower. Tuvalu had an overstay rate of 11.63 percent in 2024 for B-1/B-02 visa holders. Out of 43 expected departures, five people overstayed their visas. Vanuatu had an overstay rate of 3.05 percent – hardly high – representing only five people as well. Fiji’s overstay rate in 2024 for business and tourism visas was just under 4 percent, or 294 overstays. Tonga’s rate was twice that of Fiji’s – 6.45 percent – but that figure represents just 152 overstays. Bangladesh’s overstay rate in 2024 was 5.73 percent, representing more than 2,200 overstays. While Nepal saw just over 1,000 overstays in 2024, its rate was just 3.12 percent. And Bhutan? While it had one of the highest overstay rates in the entire world – 21.75 percent – this represented just 92 individual overstays. Furthermore, the reality is that even the lowest current end of the visa bond – $10,000 – represents an almost impossible sum for many people. The average gross monthly salary in Turkmenistan, according to wage.is, is estimated at around $714. In Tuvalu it’s $551. In Bangladesh, that figure is just $149. Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals and business readers who rely on The Diplomat for expert Asia-Pacific coverage. Get unlimited access to in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else, from South China Sea tensions to ASEAN diplomacy to India-Pakistan relations. More than 5,000 articles a year. Already have an account? Log in. Catherine Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat. Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.